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Kuwait to endure unlivable August heat and humidity

A Kuwaiti meteorologist warns said the tiny coastal country on the Persian (Arabian) Gulf will witness a significant rise in temperature and relative humidity in the second half of August. Could be a good time to plan that trip to Iceland.

Weatherman Issa Ramadan told Annahar Daily that extreme weather conditions would increase airborne dust and exacerbate air pollution across Kuwait. He pointed out that lack of winter rain is hastening regional desertification. Strong wind speeds across destabilized soil means dusty conditions.Ramadan (pictured above) pointed out that over the next 50 years Kuwait can expect higher temperatures brought on by climatic changes, most critically, regional drought. Ramadan stressed that if the world does not reduce the amount of greenhouse gas emissions, global warming will lead to rising sea levels and changes in the paths of air masses.Summer in Kuwait is scorchingly hot and windy; the prevailing wind blows from the interior, minimizing the cooling influence of the sea.

From June to August, the temperature is normally around 45/46 °C (112/115 °F), and around 29/30 °C (84/87 °F) at night. Temperature levels in Kuwait City reached the highest recorded levels in 2016 and 2017, hovering around 52/53 °C (125/127 °F), in fact surpassing records kept for the past 132 years.

Relative humidity is low, often falling below 10%, and combined with wind, can cause dehydration. Ramadan stressed that the continuation of drought may lead to population migration from some rural areas. In urban areas, public buildings and hotels are equipped with air conditioning, but how long will this be sustainable?